The disclosure relates to a data structure and a search technology for searching attribute information on a content.
Up to now, there has been known a distributed content saving system in which a plurality of contents is distributed and saved in a plurality of node devices that can communicate with each other through a network. In the distributed content saving system of this type, each of the node devices uses catalog information in which attribute information on the content is described. Each of the node devices can search a desired content, and acquire the content from another node device or a content management server. The attribute information includes a content name, an open start time, an open end time, and a keyword of the content. The catalog information is generated by the content management server, and is delivered to each node device. In the distributed content saving system, when the attribute information on the content is updated, or a new content is added, the catalog information is updated by the content management server. The catalog information is delivered to each node device.
Incidentally, when the number of available contents in the distributed content saving system is increased, the amount of data of the catalog information is also increased. A related method in which the catalog information divided into a plurality of pieces is distributed and stored by the plurality of node devices is known.